Jack is Dead
by overxertionoftheMIND
Summary: That fateful day on the tracks, it wasn't Nigel who was shot... it was Jack. This is what happened next. Rating might be changed in the future. Pairing: Nigel/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Jack is Dead**

Chapter 1 – "To Whisper Goodbye"

_"I am a murderer." The bloodstained boy turned towards me, dark blue eyes as stern as the day I met him. Meeting his unblinking stare, I stepped forward until our bodies were mere inches apart, tilting my head up slightly to keep my gaze trained upon his face._

_ His hand reached up to wipe a drop of blood from my cheek, resulting merely in smearing more across my face in the process. I pressed my hand over his, holding it against the side of my face, not breaking the silence of the tracks in between trains. Expression unchanged, voice steady, he continued, "How do you know I won't kill you next, Elizabeth?"_

_ His hand dropped slowly down to his side as I released it from my grip and took his pale face, still damply colored in streaks of red, gently between my hands. "Because you're mine," I told him softly, hearing my voice nearly break with the quiet force of those words. Beyond anything else I knew this to be true, needed it to be true. His face retained the same blank calm, but something in his eyes seemed to... shift, as if he were studying me intently. In anyone else it would have been an imperceptible change in countenance, but for Nigel it was an almost ostentatious display of emotion._

_ The sound of an approaching train echoed dully in the distance._

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Standing almost naked in the small room attached to the crawlspace beneath his parents' house, Elizabeth washed the dried blood from her face and arms in the metal sink, slightly bent over to avoid knocking her head against the low ceiling.

Jack had gone crazy. The only thing left to do had been to shoot him. Due to the connection their minds had developed, the result had been an almost unbearable pain for Nigel. She sighed, reaching for a faded blue towel folded on the counter by the industrial sink.

It was like the tearing away of a part of his brain. When Jack had come at him with the shotgun on the tracks it was all he could do to stop him. Even after he had killed Nigel's parents and that girl from St. Mary's, claiming that it had been Nigel himself who had done so... truly believing it, in fact... Jack's death had still taken its toll on him.

The sound of the water for the shower upstairs shut off, followed by soft footfalls on the ancient wooden floorboards. Elizabeth finished drying off and replaced the towel, sighing as she glanced down at her shirt and jeans, lightly crusted in dried blood, piled in a corner near the door. Walking over to the low bed that took up the entirety of the far wall, she picked up a gray t-shirt from the lightly rumpled blanket and pulled it on over her bra and panties. As she sat down upon the bed in Nigel's shirt, leaning back against the wall, the small white painted panel across the room slid open.

Shirtless, Nigel climbed through the door, sliding it closed behind him with an almost mechanical movement, and made his way over to the bed. Elizabeth slid over to give him room and he sat down beside her, taking her by surprise as he collapsed into her lap, resting his head against her chest. She sat there for a moment without moving, merely looking at his exhausted form, admiring the soft contours of his face. His pale skin, like porcelain in the dim light, strong jaw line, and graceful neck. As she brushed a lock of damp black hair from his closed eyes, a long breath escaped his slightly parted lips before his breathing slowed to a deep, even pace.

She slid down the wall a bit, settling more comfortably into the pillow behind her. Closing her eyes, she held the curled up boy gently in her arms, his smooth skin and body still warm from the shower pressed closely against her. Sleep came quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – "Winters Come and Go, and Fade Like Narcotics"

_My sleep went undisturbed by dreams that night. I think it was the warmth of Nigel's presence that kept the demons at bay. He never allows himself to be that vulnerable, not even around me. He isn't one for physical affection either._

_ Not a single night has passed without nightmares in a long while. I am sill in awe of the fact that there were none last night. Thank god._

_ Thank god._

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The dim light eventually took its toll on her eyelids, pushing its feeble glow into her skull and forcing her awake. Elizabeth pushed herself up with one hand, eyes closed tightly, and brushed a long strand of dark brown hair from her face with the other. Blinkingly, she finally deigned to open her eyes, turning towards where Nigel had lain beside her the previous night.

Gone. Though it wasn't an unusual occurrence, somehow she had expected him to be there when she awoke this time. He often disappeared for hours at a time, leaving her to her own devices, showing up without a word. She should have been used to it and, in fact, was. Why she had expected today to be any different...

Likely, he had gone to see to Jack.

Looking over towards the door, she noticed the absence of her clothes from the previous night. They had probably been burned already, lending credit to her belief about Nigel's whereabouts. Standing, she stepped up to the row of cabinets along the side wall across from the sink, close to the ceiling and painted the same stark white as the rest of the narrow room. Opening the far right cabinet, closest to the bed, she pulled out a small pile of neatly folded clothes. The cabinet had been a concession from Nigel, empty and unused before Elizabeth, that she now used to store a single change of clothes. For the occasion that she hadn't the time to go... _home_.

Giving her head a stern shake, she closed the door firmly and pulled off the shirt she was in. Although not in any particular hurry Elizabeth changed quickly, replaced Nigel's shirt neatly folded on the bed, and promptly left the room. Upon exiting the crawlspace she hopped down into the basement, replacing the mattress leaning against the wall so that it covered the square hole about a yard up from the floor.

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The cold English chill seeped steadily through her clothes, sinking into her bones as Elizabeth walked down a street not quite a mile from Nigel's house. Pulling her black coat closer around her petite body, she quickened her pace, swiftly approaching the end of the block. She turned the corner in a rush and came to a sudden halt, staring down the narrow avenue before her. A cold gust of wind came up from behind and swept past her thin form, tugging from her grasp the edges of her unbuttoned coat and flinging them out before her. Bracing herself, she took a tentative step forward, ignoring her coat flapping in the harsh wind that pushed her toward her destination. The fourth house on the left, although outwardly no different from its surrounding fellows, loomed ominously in her vision as she approached. Passing the raised porch out front, Elizabeth made her way to the gate at the side of the house and wrenched open the latch, wincing at the loud groan of protest from the rusty metal. Without pausing to wait around for anyone who might have heard, she slipped into the side yard, adjusting the gate so that it appeared to be firmly shut but in actuality remained unlatched for a quick escape.

Carefully opening the side door to the house, she peered cautiously around the doorframe to look about the kitchen. Empty. Before stepping foot into the dark room, the only light coming from a naked window above the sink, Elizabeth paused, tilting her head to the side, listening intently. The sound of raised voices, quieted by slight distance, filtered downstairs to rest threateningly in her ear. Taking a deep breath, she slipped quickly inside, shutting the door behind with a muted thud.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – "I Don't Need Your Pity"

_"What are you doing?"_

_ I paused, scalpel held carefully in one gloved hand, and looked up from my work at the reflection off the window before me. I was sitting at my desk in the dorm, partway through the dissection of a white-tailed swallow. Alex stood silhouetted in the doorway, hands tucked into his pockets, leaning against the doorframe. His stance menacingly casual; like a panther ready to spring._

_ "We've got work to do, Nigel." Alex stepped forward until he was standing directly behind me and leaned in close, his freckled face hovering just over my shoulder, breath warm and suffocating against my neck. "Or have you forgotten?"_

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Nigel stood before a metal garbage bin in the middle of a construction site that had been abandoned for the winter, his dark blue eyes staring coldly into the hot flames that licked away at the final scraps of blackened cloth. The foul stench of scorched flesh mingled with the chill early morning air as the darkness faded to the muted gray of a false dawn.

As the fire dwindled and was slowly reduced to softly glowing embers, he looked up at the sky, the last chance for seeing stars already past. You could never see the stars here anyways. The damn clouds always got in the way.

He turned abruptly on his heel and headed for the forest that bordered the site. A trickle of smoke still rose from the metal cylinder, but Nigel didn't look back as he walked away.

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Elizabeth was halfway down the block before she realized why her neck was so cold. In her hurry to leave she had left her scarf behind. Shit. There was no way she was going back… there. She raised her hands to tug the collar of her coat up and one hand glanced across her neck. She winced slightly and gingerly touched what she knew must be bruises forming in two places on the pale skin of her neck. Most likely in the shape of thumbprints. Shit.

She adjusted her collar as best she could to hide her neck and quickened her step. Distracted so by her shame, Elizabeth hardly noticed the person walking down the sidewalk in the opposite direction until she ran straight into them. Flustered, she muttered quick apologies as her hands reached up to cover her neck. She looked up to find a pale face turned towards her, dark blue eyes calmly studying her face.

"Elizabeth." Nigel's gaze shifted downwards to what her hands covered. A flash of rage in his eyes as her hands fell away from her neck, revealing a mere two of a new set of marks. The previous set had barely had time to fade. She trained her gaze upon the ground beneath their feet, unable to meet his eyes. The soft rustle of cloth, then his scarf around her neck. Elizabeth looked up, lost herself in his now calm eyes, lost track of time.

"Nigel..." She reached a hand towards him, but he turned away. Began walking back the way he came. Her hand dropped heavily back down to her side.

"Let's go."

"…Okay." And she followed him.

They never went anywhere in particular. Down by the water maybe, or perhaps just to wander the empty streets at night in the peaceful dark. They just started walking with no direction, and after a while their feet found the well-trod path they often followed when there was nowhere else to be. No-one gave them a second look as they padded through the lightly trafficked avenues near enough downtown to have people scattered about them throughout the day. As they made their way through the ambling groups of shoppers they were often forced to walk one behind the other. Normally adept at slipping swiftly through crowds, today Elizabeth trod more slowly behind Nigel as he picked their way through the occasional cluttered patch of pavement.

Passing through a small mass of people outside the front of a popular store, she was cut off by a pretty girl about her age, dressed in fashionable clothes and laughing loudly in an overly ostensible manner at something one of her companions had said. Startled, Elizabeth pulled up just short of running into her and stood there for a moment, slightly dazed at having been torn from her thoughts so abruptly. The girl's pretty face darkened in an ugly manner as she shot her a condescending look, as if Elizabeth had been the one to cut across her path. All of this in just a moment or two, and then a hand, larger and radiating slight warmth, wrapped around her own, enveloping it in a strong grip as a gentle tug guided her left and forward through the crowd. She blinked, mildly disoriented as her feet followed mechanically, and looked up to catch Nigel's calm, confident stride as he walked one step ahead of her, pulling her easily through the crowd.

Knowing and trusting that he would lead her the right way, Elizabeth immediately fell back into her jumbled thoughts, too exhausted or tired to even care what was happening. She merely watched his feet as they walked, never once looking up to notice anything else. All that existed was herself, and the gentle force pulling her forward.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Okay, more revisions. These were actually done a while ago but I completely forgot to post them. So here they are: Chapters 4 and 5 in their (hopefully!) final versions. I'm quite pleased with them actually. Enjoy!

Chapter 4 – "And Our Lungs Were Screaming Like a Murder of Black Crows"

_ Jack had crept into the dorm room we shared late one night. It only takes a few seconds for the chloroform to kick in. When I awoke, I had expected to be on the train like the last time this had happened. Instead, my surroundings were dark with only a single light hanging overhead. The air smelled damp and cool._

_ Blurred vision. I blinked and looked up at the person seated at a table directly beneath the light. Alex? No, it was Jack. Alex was bearable, but Jack… I gave my head a firm shake as if to dispel the thought from my mind, though it didn't help. The movement caught Jack's eye and he stood up, walking across the room to where I was leaned against the wall, clad only in my pyjamas and coat. We were in the basement of the school, where Alex liked to hang out with his friends to avoid the headmaster._

_ "Now, Nigel," Jack began, standing over me, obviously relishing the feeling of power that came with the situation. "You should know by now that the connection works both ways." He crouched down in front of me, and I turned my face away. Jack roughly grabbed my chin with one hand and forced my head forward until our faces were level. His eyes narrowed, he spoke more slowly now. "I know every thought that passes through your mind. There's nowhere for you to hide."_

_ I looked calmly back at him, unwavering in my gaze. Jack stared at me for a moment longer before getting up and striding over to the table. He picked up a small metal box and held it in his hand, scrutinizing it intently, seemingly unconcerned with anything else. Pushing myself to my feet, I tucked my hands into the pockets of my coat, studying Jack's face._

_ "So, who is it tonight?"_

_ Jack looked up from his box and smiled._

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"You went back there again."

She needn't look at Nigel's face to know that the expression there was the same as always, calm and controlled. They were sitting by the water. It was almost noon. Elizabeth continued staring into the icy depths, noting how the water today matched the color of Nigel's eyes perfectly.

"I know those marks." His voice sounded to Elizabeth like it were a million miles away. "When Jack was still here, he would…"

Now she turned to look at him, her mind clinging to the truth of his words in a feeble attempt to pull herself back to reality. Drowning in the void she created to protect herself from that very same reality, some part of her now seemed to want it back. Nigel looked back at her, the inner struggle of her mind clearly visible across her face. Dark blue met gray, and he knew. She never could talk in this state.

He snorted lightly, bringing a hand up to ruffle Elizabeth's already wind-blown hair, and she gazed up at him with a detached look of vague surprise. As he turned to look out over the water the faintest hint of a smile touched his lips. They sat there like that, Nigel looking at the water, Elizabeth looking at Nigel, for a full minute.

Elizabeth abruptly stood up and dusted off the backside of her coat. Nigel watched her movements with curiosity, still seated. She tilted her head slightly to one side, then turned away from him and ran as hard and as fast as she could. It wasn't long before she could hear his steps behind her as they ran alongside the water. With each step the numbness faded a little more. With each harsh breath tearing through her lungs Elizabeth felt just that much more alive.

By the time they had run far enough to reach the end of the concrete walkway, she could feel the cold again. Panting, she stopped and turned in time to watch Nigel catch up, an amused look upon his face. And for the first time in a long while a small, wavering smile crossed Elizabeth's delicate features.

Her stomach had cramped because she wasn't used to running, the cold air had scraped her throat raw, and her entire body ached. But it didn't matter, because all she wanted to do at that moment was scream.

So she did.

After watching her for a few moments, Nigel's voice rang out alongside Elizabeth's. They stood there shouting at the top of their lungs, one long wordless cry that echoed out across the water.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: If you've been reading my story up until now and haven't read my note at the beginning of Chapter 4, you might want to do so now. Chapters 4 and 5 went through major changes. Please read and review!

Chapter 5 – "And I Woke Up in a Cold Sweat to Those Barren Walls Again"

_ I can hear them through the walls and through the vents. Footsteps filter down from the ceiling above. Voices echo distantly through the halls. There is nowhere to run. Just a calm, passive acceptance of what is to come._

_ This, is home._

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Conflicting sounds filtered through Elizabeth's fuzzy thoughts as she slowly emerged from her dreams. There were footsteps from above, voices, faint and far away. Though warm, her slender body shivered beneath the blankets, hands clutching at the surrounding fabric. Beside her, Nigel watched her movements with his usual calm, steady gaze. Elizabeth's body gave a sharp jerk and she awoke with a start, bolting upright. Breathing heavily, she looked around to see the dark eyed boy beside her. The sickly look faded slightly from her face at the sight of him and she slumped back against the pillows, pressing her palms against her eyes. The pair sat in silence for a while, the only sounds being the dim murmur of Nigel's parents in the kitchen above them.

"I hate people," Elizabeth said after some time had passed. She pulled her hands away from her face and stared blankly at the wall before her. A cruel tone entered her voice as she continued. "They're terrible, terrifying, horrible creatures."

"Why don't you hate me then?" Nigel asked, turning towards her, his voice almost dangerously calm. When he wanted to know something there was nothing that could stop him; he would get that knowledge somehow. It always seemed to work that way, ever since Elizabeth had first met him

"I don't know…" Her reply was soft, almost a whisper. Try as she might to avoid thinking about what the answer might be, she knew it was a futile struggle even before it began. She usually chose her words more carefully around Nigel; the grogginess of sleep must have caused her to forget.

"I am a terrible, terrifying, horrible person." He shifted his body so that he was directly in front of her, looking her straight in the eye, his words sincere and deadly serious. "So why do you care for me?"

Elizabeth wanted to look away but couldn't, caught by that piercing gaze. He was much stronger than her, fierce, strong willed, and violent when he was angry. There were infinite reasons for her to fear him, for her to hate him, as she did everyone else. _I am a murderer._ Nigel's words at the tracks echoed through her head. "I don't know, I really don't know…" she mumbled.

"Why?" Nigel demanded, his voice hard and fierce. His face had a commanding sort of look to it, one that could not be precisely defined as anger. "Why me?"

"Because you're mine!" The sharpness in her voice startled the girl, and she looked down to where her hand had grasped Nigel's shirt. Her next words were more gentle. "You're my terrible, terrifying, horrible creature. You're mine and I want you." Elizabeth trailed off, fingers loosening their grip. "I want _you…_"


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry it takes me so long to update. My inspiration hits sporadically at best. Thank you to anyone who is reading this, and I really and truly appreciate any reviews or comments I get. Just a disclaimer that I should have added earlier: The chapter titles are in quotes because they are all song lyrics. All songs will be by either Michael Trent, The Films, Sons Of An Illustrious Father, or Travis Bilenski. As of yet, they are all by Travis though.

Please read and review! Thank you. ^^

Chapter 6 – "And Your Legs Were Wrapped Around Me, All Bruised Up By Other Boys"

_ It was dark outside when Nigel followed Jack out onto the damp grass, black duffel bag tossed over one shoulder. The sun had set early and the empty field looked serene in the emerging starlight. A few lights tossed an orange glow across the patch of grass closest to the cluster of brick buildings at the far end of the campus._

_ With Jack leading, the two boys quickly approached the buildings, stopping just outside the border of light. Nigel glanced around but saw no-one in the surrounding area. Surely most of the classes had let out for the evening, so the chances of crossing paths with anyone were slim. Turning, he was just in time to catch a glimpse of Jack stepping around a corner where the light was less bright. Nigel followed his companion, and the two boys slipped silently through the narrow passageways. Jack stopped abruptly, careful to stay in the shadow as he cast his gaze upon on the four-story library that towered above its surroundings. Nigel merely leaned his back against the wall, a vacant look on his face._

_ A silence settled across the complex, broken only by a harsh wind that picked up and wound its way through the tangle of buildings before dying down. The sound of a door sliced through the air, followed softly by footsteps. Nigel looked up just in time to see a slender girl in a black coat hurrying past, straight dark hair ruffled by a slight breeze. A single glimpse was enough for him to recognize her as me._

_ In one swift motion, he grabbed Jack by the collar and slammed him up against the wall._

_ Jack merely laughed._

_ "Not Elizabeth." There was a sharp edge to his voice and eyes as he stared down at Jack. Jack stopped laughing, allowing a pleased, vindictive smile to settle across his face._

_ "But Nigel, she's your Maraclea, is she not?" His sickly sweet voice clashed harshly with the cruel expression of pleasure on his face. I didn't understand what he meant by this when Nigel first told me the story of this day, but I was to find out all too soon. "Besides, it's you that killed my _dear_ friend Josh on the train that night," he continued dismissively._

_ Nigel let out a low wordless growl and released his grip on the other boy, turning down the passageway that I had since disappeared along. Jack merely stood there, watching him go and smiling to himself in the shadows._

_ "An eye for an eye…"_

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Elizabeth sat at her desk, idly tugging at the uncomfortable skirt of her uniform. She found her gaze drifting away from the chalkboard at the front of the classroom towards the window she was seated next to. Her fingers gently probed at the remaining soreness in her neck as she stared absently out at a patch of dark, roiling clouds that predicted an evening storm. Realizing what she was doing, Elizabeth quickly pulled her hands from her neck, praying that she hadn't smudged the thin covering of make-up over her slowly fading bruises. The others were easier to hide beneath layers of winter clothing, but her neck…

She sighed quietly to herself and turned back to check the clock above the board. At least the day was almost over. If it weren't for _him_ she would have skipped more often than not, but as it were that would only lead to more… incidents. What her mother saw in that man Elizabeth would never understand. He still tried to get her to call him dad, even after four years. That he _dared_ to consider himself a father figure to her after all he had done… The end of classes bell startled her out of her thoughts and she looked down to find her hands curled into fists upon her desk. Her anger subsided in a wave of exhaustion, replaced by a slight shiver as she stood to leave, gathering her things with now trembling hands.

Elizabeth made her way through the jostling crowd of girls in the stone hallways of the Catholic school compound without taking notice of her surroundings in the least. By the time she stood in front of the house on Rosebay Lane she could hardly remember how she had gotten there. She slipped quietly past the softly dozing hound just inside the metal gate and made her way to the hidden basement room where Nigel sat studying a leather bound book at the small desk. He didn't look up when she entered, sliding the thin panel closed behind her, but he took note of her presence.

She was greeted by a dry rustle as she sat down on the edge of the bed, followed by a thin smack as today's paper hit the floor by her feet. She looked up at Nigel, who merely leaned back in his chair and looked at her, unreadable as always. Picking up the paper, Elizabeth was greeted by a large picture of a familiar freckle faced boy. The article on Alex's disappearance took up half of the front page, an unnecessarily large amount of space for a missing persons case.

"His father must have the whole city out looking for him by now," she murmured, scanning the newsprint for anything that might hint at a suspect. The space was mostly occupied with quotes from Alex's father and information on how tragic it was for such an influential man to lose his sole heir. Dropping the paper back down into her lap, Elizabeth looked up at Nigel. "What did you do with him?" She paused, fidgeting on the bed. "I mean, what if they find his..?"

"It's been dealt with," he stated simply, cutting her off midsentence. After a few moments of silence the raven haired boy crossed the small room to stand over the slender girl. "Or don't you trust me?"

Elizabeth flinched at the harshness of his tone, straining her neck to hold the gaze that had captured her in its depths once again. Kneeling down in front of her, Nigel's voice softened dangerously.

"Such a pretty face," he cooed sweetly, reaching his hand up to trail a finger ever so lightly against her cheek. "But far too broken for anyone to ever truly want. Who do you think would accept you other than me?" Desperation and defeat reflected in her soft gray eyes, but still she never looked away from his cold gaze until he kissed her.

Soft lips pressed roughly against her own, as the warmth of another body pressed in against hers. Nigel leaned in closer, steadying himself with one hand on the bed beside her while the other cupped her chin firmly. Elizabeth struggled to focus on breathing, feeling as if the breath had been torn from her lungs. Their lips parted after what seemed like an eternity, and she opened her eyes, unaware of having closed them. Nigel moved the breathless girl further back onto the bed, running his hands down the smooth skin of her legs, causing her to clutch at the blankets.

"Who else cares for you besides me?" he whispered huskily in her ear, as she writhed beneath him. Her entire body burned at his touch as she surrendered to the strength of the young man above her. He slipped his hands under the button up shirt of her uniform, grabbing roughly at her sides and hips, leaving more bruises alongside those already fading. Her hands reached out to his chest before finding his neck and pulling him down towards her. Nigel nosed his way gently down her neck, his breath hot against her sensitive skin. He nipped her collar bone lightly a few times before attacking her skin more violently, pressing his body roughly against hers. Elizabeth whimpered in his ear, digging her fingers into the flesh of his back. Nigel pulled back, a fierceness in his cold blue eyes.

"You're mine, Elizabeth, and no one hurts what's mine," the boy growled possessively before returning his lips to hers.


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